Motherhood and marriage would be bittersweet for Latifah — who pals said still mourns the death of her older brother, Lance, a police officer in East Orange, N.J., who was killed while riding a motorcycle nearly two decades ago.

“Latifah bought Lance that motorcycle for his birthday and she thinks maybe he’d still be here if she hadn’t given it to him,” said a friend.

The insider added: “Fortunately, Latifah has Eboni to comfort her. Eboni is the love of her life and everyone’s hoping Latifah’s health improves — especially if she’s going to be a mom!”

We pay for juicy info! Do you have a story for RadarOnline.com? Email us at tips@radaronline.com, or call us at 800-344-9598 any time, day or night.